
Game Details
- Publisher: Sekai Project
- Developer: Crespirit
- ESRB Rating: “T” for Teen
- Genre: 2D Action Platformer
- Pros: Awesome mix of genres; very cute character designs; solid gameplay; great presentation; difficulty options
- Cons: Fanservice might put some people off
- MSRP: $30
Rabi-Ribi takes place in a world made up almost exclusively
of cute girls. Just about every anime trope and character design is represented
and it’s all quite nice if you’re into that sort of thing. You play as a rabbit
named Erina who wakes up one day to discover she has been turned into a human
bunnygirl. Her first goal is to make it back to her owner and then after that
to try to figure out what is causing all sorts of strange phenomena in the
world (and a rabbit turning into a girl is the least of their problems). Along
the way she meets a ton of new friends, including a fairy named Ribbon who
becomes her partner (get it – Rabbit and Ribbon = Rabi Ribi).
The story and dialogue is all text based and is a little dry
and not especially captivating, to be honest. I do like all of the characters,
though, and once the gameplay kicks into high gear any issues with the
storytelling are easy to forget. I also have to say that while the game does
feature very cute and occasionally sexy character designs, I don’t find any of
it particularly over the top. Like I said, though, I like this type of artwork
and fanservice in general anyway, so maybe I’m not the best judge of what is
“too” sexy and “too” fanservice-y.

It is also a surprisingly long game, too. I was skeptical of
the $30 price tag initially, but I can say with confidence that you’re getting
your money’s worth here. After playing several hours the item and character and
badge screens in the menus were still mostly empty, which meant I still had a
ton to do and discover, which is awesome. It takes about 12-hours to finish the
story and at least twice that to discover all of the secrets and beat it 100%.
For $30 that’s a heck of a lot better than most “AAA” games.
One other thing about the gameplay that needs mentioning is
that it can be extremely and occasionally frustratingly difficult. This may be
a cute bunnygirl game but the gameplay has some teeth. Thankfully the game has
some options for difficulty modes to make it more accessible. Interestingly,
there is even an option to turn off specific required items for certain boss
fights, which means you can fight and beat bosses even if you don’t have the
correct items. I like that option since it means you can just plow forward and
make progress at your own pace rather than exploring and Metroidvania-ing it up
too hard if you don’t want to. Options are always a good thing and making sure
everyone can enjoy a game is a great design philosophy.
The presentation in Rabi-Ribi is either going to be the most
appealing or most off-putting aspect of the package, but I happen to love it.
The mix of 16-bit sprites during gameplay and more detailed character portraits
during dialogue works extremely well and the characters all look great. The
sound is also fantastic with a great soundtrack that matches the oldschool
style.
All in all, Rabi-Ribi is a fantastic all around package. The
presentation is great, the gameplay feels awesome, and there is a ton of
content to play through. I was all in based on just the art, so it was nice to
find such a fun and full-featured game underneath. If you like 2D platformers /
Metroidvanias and are interested in the bullet hell twist, Rabi-Ribi is a
pretty fantastic indie game I can highly recommend. Buy it. Unless you hate
cute bunnygirls. In which case, why am I even talking to you?
Disclosure: A review code was provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: A review code was provided by the publisher.